To said veejay



(Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. THIMONNIER,PILS,& @.VERNAY. SINGLE THREAD SEWING MACHINE. No. 287,592. A Patented Oct. 3-0, 1883.

, (Model.) l Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. THIMONNIER,PILS,& C. VERNAY.' SINGLE THREADSEWING MACHINE.

N0; 287,592. Patelltd-Oct. 8(7);4 1883.

(Model.) 4 sheets-sheen 3.

E. THIMO-NNIER,FILS,& C. VERNAY. SINGLE .THREAD SEWING MACHINE.

.NO- 287.592- PatentedOotfSG. 1883.y

N. vrins. mln-Mmmm. waumgnm DA c (Mod-e1.) 4 sheets-sheet 4.

E. THIMONNIER,FILS,& G. VERNAY.

SINGLE THREAD SEWING MACHINE. No. 287,592. y Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

N. PETERS. Phnmumogmphnr, wshingtnn. mc.

UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ETIENNE THIMONNIEE, EILS, AND CLAUDE vERNAY., OE IinvoNs, FRANCE; SAID THIMONNIEE, EILS, AsSIeNoEV To SAID vERNAY.

SINGLE-THREAD.sEwmc-MAc'llllNE. Y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,592, dated October 30, 1 883.

Application iilcd February 1S, 1862. (Model.) Patented in France January 6, 1882, No. 146,719; in England January l1, 1882, No. 158;

in Belgium January 14, 1882, No. 56,768, and in Germany January 20, 1882, No. 19,115.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, ETIENNE THIMONNIER,

' the son, and CLAUDE VERNAY, both ofLyons,

a Single thread, and provide for making withVV such a machine and thread a stitch which will not draw out or rip, thereby dispensing with the use of a shuttle and the inconveniences consequent upon the use of a second thread. III short, by our improvements we make a stitch which in some degree resembles the stitch made byhand, and which will not come undone, even in case of breakage of the thread.

Figure 1 represents larger than the usual size the stitch made by our invention as it might appear in a section of the cloth taken in theline of the seam. Fig. 2 is aview of the stitch as it appears on the face of the cloth. Fig. 3 is a View of the same as it appears on the back of the cloth. Figs. 4 and 5 represent on a scale larger thanV the usual size twoV kinds of needles which may be used in the machine. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11,f12, and 13 are simple dia.- grams representing, half-size, the thread-enchaining devices in several different relative positions illustrating the process of making the stitch. Fig. 14 is a front view, fullsize, of the lower part ofthe .head ofthe machine. Fig. 15 is a central section taken at right angles tol and corresponding with Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a View, corresponding with Figs. 14 and 15, of the working parts within the head, taken in the opposite direction to Fig. 14. Fig. 17 is supporting the latter.

an irregular horizontal section of the head o f the machine, taken partly on the line x x and partly on the line y y of Figs. V14, 15, andv 16, but dcviating slightly from both of those lines in such way as to best show mechanism within and connected with the head. Fig.' 18 is a horizontal section in the line y y of' Figs. 14, 15, and 16, showing the thread-bobbin and the bobbin-holder, and illustrating the methodof Fig. 19 is a side view of the loop-extender.

of the part ofthe machin/ahead correspondingY with Figs. 14, 15, 16. Fig. 20 is a front view of the oscillating looper and loop-eXtender. Fig. 21 is a vertical section of part of the oscillating looper. Figs22 is a side view of parts Fig.v 23 is a horizontal section of the oscillating looper and its appurtenances. Fig. 24 is a face view ofthe machine, half-size. Fig. 25 is a vertical section of the machine,corresponding with and at right angles to Fig. 24. Fig. 26 is a vertical section corresponding with Fig. 25 in the line ik as seen looking from the right ofthelatter figure. Fig. 27 is a front view of what is hereinafter termed the loop-extender7 and its operatin g mechanism. Fig. 2S is a front View of what is hereinafter termed the looper7 and a part v of its operating mechanism.

We will rst describe the stitch-making devices, which constitute the principal elements of the machine.- These devices for Inak- 'ing the stitch shown in Fig. 1 are as follows:

first, a hollow bobbi'n-holdelg'A, containing v the bobbin a, and carrying a thread-clamp, which regulates the issue of the thread, and provided with a vertical diametral groove or guide in which the needle works; second, a needle, B, sliding in the vertical groove or guide and operated by a needle-carrier, and

from which it is capable of ydisconnection in the operation of the machine, as will be hereinafter described; third, a circular hook, C, surrounding the bobbin-holder and having a rotary movement, and intended to pass the thread above the needle in such a manner as to form the knot of the stitch 5 fourth, an oscillating hook, D, which may be termed the looper, arranged under thetable of the machine; fifth, a hooked loop-extender, E, also placed under the table of the machine.

The needle B, which we employ, may be of either of the two forms shown in Figs. 4 and 5. That shownin Fig. 4 has an eye, b, near its point, and a hook, b', at a certain distance above the said eye. That shown in Fig. 5 only differs in that, instead ofthe eye b, there is'an opening forming a hook, 5*.l The eye bis intended to receive the thread in the same way as the eye of an Yordinary needle, and the opening b* may be considered as an eye with an opening in the side for the convenience of threading. The peculiarity of the needle is in the hook b, the point or extremity of which 5 turns upward or away from the point of the needle, so that as the needle moves upward or is withdrawn from the cloth the hook will catch a thread presented across it, but the throat of which is sloped outward in an up- Io ward direction, or a direction backward from the front, so that as the needle moves downward or forward through the cloth a thread in the hook b', beingI checked by any means, would slip easily out of the said hook.

I 3 IVe will now proceed to describe the movements made and the successive positions taken bythe several devices hereinabove mentioned during the formation of the stitch, having reference to Figs. 6, 7, S, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of 2o the drawings.

. Position 1: In this position (represented in Fig. (i) the thread leaving the bobbin passes the clamp on the bobbin-carrier through the hole b of the needle D, and through the cloth at the place where it has been previouslyperfol-ated, descends through the hole fn the throat-plate F or bed-plate of the machine, below which, in the form of a loop, it surrounds the oscillating hook orlooper D, and is caught 3o by the hook e of the loop-extender, whence it repasses through the hole f to rejoin the stitch previously made.

V Position 2: In this position (shown in Fig. 7 all the devices remain in lthe position last 3 5 mentioned, except the needle B, which has descended through the cloth and through the loop formed around the looper D, in which there :is a notch or cavity, to be hereinafter more fully described, in which the needle has 4o just descended. The needle now having arrived at the bottom of its stroke, its hook b is placed in juxtaposition with the portion of the loop retained at the time by the hook D and the extender E.

Position 3: In this position (shown in Fig.

S) the needle and the thread-extender E remain stationary; but the looper D has moved back, and at the same time'moved alittle laterally to disengage itself from the needle, and

5o has abandoned the loop to the extender E, which, by the aid of a spiral spring adapted to the interior of its head, maintains a tension on the thread thus abandoned, and obli ges it to enter into the hook b of the needle.

Position 4: In this position (shown in Fig.

9) the extender E has not moved; but the looper D has advanced and engaged itself in a new loop which has been presented to it by the needle, and the latter is beginning to rise with 6o the loop in its hook b.

Position 5: This is shown in Fig. 10. The needle has completed its upward movement, during which by its hook b it pulls kthe loop through the cloth` far enough for it to be caught by the beak c of the rotary hook C, which has now taken it, and is carrying it over the bobbin-holder A in such a manner that 011e part remains in front of and the other part passes behind the said holder, which is so arranged as to permit the passage of the thread. 7o This operation is facilitated by a throwover7 lever, which will be hereinafter described, which conducts one of the sides of the loop behind the bobbin-holder, or by any other suitable means, such as a helical wing provided 011 the bobbin-holder. Vhile the beak of the hook C is rising circularly, the extenderE advances and delivers up the loop which it had previously kept extended. This delivery is effected simply by the point of the 8o hook e passing beyond the loop at the time when the latter has been drawn nearly close up to the plate F by the rotary circular hook C.

Position 6: This is shown in Fig. 11. The point of the rotary hook C has passed the vertical position, and the loop which is being carried over by the said hook has passed between the bobbin-holder and the needle-carrier, the needle having been momentarily disconnected from the carrier to permit of such 9o passage, and immediately thereafter reconnected, and the loop having passed over the head of the needle. The extender E is lnow moving back and has caught upon its hook the new loop, which has been engaged by the looper D, and which it now opens, taking the thread from the preceding loop, abandoned by the rotary hook C.

Position 7 This is represented in Fig. 12. The needleAand the looper D remaining sta- IOO tionary, the beak c of the rotary hook C continues its downward movement at the same time that the extender, moving back, rapidly extends the new loop, thereby tightening the l stitch previously formed.

Position 8: In this position,which is shown in Fig. 13, the extender E has continued to tighten the stitch and the feed has taken place, the cloth having been moved to the left a distance equal to the length of stitch, by I IO which movement the tightening of the stitch is continued and the cloth is replaced in position to receive a new stitch. f

It may now be easily and briefly explained how the stitch is made. I I5 The needle in descending pierces the cloth and passes through the loop,which is retained by the looper D, and which is engaged also on the hook of the extender E. The looper D retires, and thus abandons to the extender 120 alone the loop which they had together retained. Then it advances again to seize the new loop brought down by the needle. The needle then rises, -and when it has arrived at its highest position the circular hook C again seizes the needle -thread and causes the loop which it forms to pass around the bobbin-earrier and the needle, the extenderE yielding the thread in proportion to this movement up to the time when the beak c of 13o -the hook C arrives at its vertical or highest position, at `which instant the hook e of the 287.592 Y y l en extender, having itself passed thev vertical,

abandons the. thread of the first loop, Vwhich had been yielded to it by the looper D, and then, in returning, `seizes the second loop placed upon the looper- D. At this instant the rotary hook C, having in its turn passed the vertical, abandons the loop, which is returned, and of which the thread is drawn under the plate of the machine by the extender E, which, moving backward, tightens the stitch and obligesit to pass under the clothat the same time as the 'feed-movement, which completes thetightening ofthe knot and places the cloth in position to receive a new stitch.

It may be seen that in this machine the thread is never abandonedto itself, the extender Ehaving for its object the maintenance of a certain tension in all the positions which it successively takes, which prevents entanglement and assures the formation of a stitch. We will n ow describe the mechanism for moving the several stitch-making devices.

Bobbn-hoZder.-The bobbin-holder A, Figs.V

14, 15, 16, 17, 1S, consists of a circular box with rounded edges, made of two pieces tted one into the other at the rim, and secured together by means o`f two small bolts, fr r', (see Fig. 18,) which are fitted to one part, and are pressed out into holes in` theother by means of small spiral springs arranged behind them. These bolts may be drawn back, toallow the opening of the box or holder for inserting or changing lthe bobbin, by the insertion of a small instrument through openings R R inthe back of the box into notches in the said bolts. The bobbin a, which is contained in the said holder, is capable of turning freely about its axis and furnishes the thread as required by the machine. The thread passes out of the box A through an opening in its periphery situated opposite the point s, Fig. 14. and very near its face, and passes thence under the thread-clamp S, formed by a metal spring, and through a notch, s', in the said clamp, thence through a small guide, s, consisting of a groove in the face of the box, and thence to the eye-b or bi of the needle. This guide s may, however, be dispensed with. The front part of this bobbin-holder A, forming the cover, has in its middle a vertical slideway, in Ywhich works the slide F, which forms the headofthe needle. This slide or head is bored out from the bottom to form a socket for the reception of the upper part of the shank of the needle, whichmay be secured therein .by a set-screw or other convenient means, but

is representedin Figs. 14, 15 as secured therein by a spring-catch, ff', which consists of a small plate-spring, f, which is secured at its upper end by riveting or otherwise to the upper part of the face of the said slide or head, and which has secured in it a tooth or pin, f, which passes through a hole provided for it in the socketed part of the said slide or head and enters a notch in the upper part of the needleshank and' has also providedl in it va hole/or notch for-the reception of a small pin or tenon, m', arovided on the movable portion or finger M of the needle-carrier M M', which will .presently be described. The said slide or head also has in it a lateral groove, intowhich enters a small spring-stop, t, which is placed in a groove, T, provided in the front face of the bobbin-holder, and whichholds the needle immovable while it is disconnected from the needle-carrier. The bobbin-holder A issupportedby the circular hook C, which surrounds it almost completely, and isolates it on all sides, in-order to permit the Vpassage of the loop rof thread which is to form the knot. The circular movement of the said holder with the hook is prevented by the sliderF, while thelatter is connected with the needle-carri er M M', and

when the slider F is disconnected the holder is held stationary by a special oscillating` piece, G, (see Figs. 14, 18,"19,) pivoted to the front plate of the head of the sewing machine. This oscillating piece has three arms, g y gf', of which the iirst, g, is operated upon by the movable Lportion M of the needle-carrier when the latter is thrown out'to detach the needle, the second, g', holds the bobbinholder by entering a hole in its front face, and the third, g, is acted uponby a return-spring, g.

Oircular, rotating hook-The hook shown in detail in Figs. 14, 15, 18 is formed of a disk, C, having an opening at the place where is formed 'the'beak c, which takes the thread from the needle. This disk, for facility of construction, may be made, as shown in the section, Fig. 18, of three'concentric rings, c`l c3 c, screwed or otherwise fastened together. I The middle one, c2, has a larger external diameter and smaller internal diameter than the front and'back ones, c3 0*, in order to form inner and outer flanges. The outer yiange is tted to turn freely in an opening in the front plate, P2,

ofthe head of the machine, and confined therein bya ring, Q., which is open in its lower part, and which is secured to the said plate by means of screws. The inner iiange formed by the IOO IIO

said ring enters a groove in the periphery of the bobbin-holder and forms a bearing for Y the latter. The beakc may be formed upon the iront ring, c3, itself, or be made of a separate piece secured to the face thereof. Rotary motion is given to the hook C in the following manner: A lever, Y, placed in the curved supporting-arnrof the head of the machine,

operates through a sliding rod, K, and a pitman, K, (see Figs. 15, 16,17, 19, 25,) to produce the rotary motion of a crank-shaft, I,

which carries at one end a disk, L, on the rear face of which is arranged a crown, O, (see Figs. 15, 16, 17 which vconslsts of a ring bent on a diametral line, so that the two rhalves or seg- 4 ments p p are in two planes oblique to each other, as shown in Fig. 15. This crown is attached to thedisk L by two pivots, o o,which are parallel with the diametral line of junction ofthe planes of its two segments, p p.

Thecrank-shaft I in turning turns the disk L,

which is keyed to it, and which communicates its rotation to the disk or crown O, of which the two portions situated in two different planes pass successively under a roller, P, which turns on a xed stud secured to the back of the front plate of the machine-head. The segments p p carry one or more tenons, q q', which engage successively in corresponding holes made in the rear face of the rotaryhook C. One or other of these tenons is always engaged with the hook, of which the continuous 'rotation is assured, while the thread may pass freely into the empty space J, provided immediately behind the bobbin-holder, one or other of the two tenons q q being always separated from the hook C at the proper time for the loop to pass. The disk L, of which we have just explained one of the functions, is, moreover, terminated by a rim, of which the two sides form two cams, Z l', of which one effects the detachment of the needle-carrier from the needle-head, and the other effects the movement of the throw-over lever, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

Ncedle-carrier- This carrier consists of a reciprocating bar or piece, M, and a finger or lever, M, (see Figs. 14, 15, 17 19,) pivoted to the lower end of the said bar, and having at its lower extremity a small tenon, m, to engage in a hole or notch in the slider F. A spring, m, attached to the bar M', serves to keep the tenon in the said hole or notch and the needle connected with the carrier all the time the finger M is not thrownl out by mechanism provided for the purpose. This throwing out is produced by a pin, m, attached to a lever, H, which is pivoted at h to the back of the front plate of the machinehead, and of which the lower part is acted upon at proper time by the cam l on the edge of the disk L. The upper extremity, 7L, of this lever H, by abutting against the front plate of the machi 11e-head, prevents the lower extremity of this lever from .remaining in contact with the disk L longer than is necessary.

Throw-over Zeven-In order to assure the passage around the bobbin-holder of the loop extended by the beak c of the rotary hook C, we have arranged under the bobbin-holder the throw-over lever N, Figs. 14, 16, 17, 19, which is inserted into the loop seized by the said hook, and which is actuated by the cam l on the back of the disk L. This lever has three arms, n a a, of which one, a, is acted upon by the cam Z, another, n', conducts the thread of the loop behind the bobbin-holder and draws it into the free space J at the back thereof, and the third arm, a, receives the action of a return-spring, n, which returns it to its initial position.

Oscillating hook or loopen-This hook D (represented in detail in Figs. 20, 21, 23) is arranged under the cloth plat-e or bed of the machine, and receives a compound movement. It oscillates to take and leave the loop which A has been presented to it by the needle, and at the sani'e time it draws back in a direction parallel to the axis of oscillation at the proper moment to escape the needle which has been in its notch el, Fig. 20. The oscillating movement is communicated to the looper D by the arbor U, (see Figs. 21, 24, 25, 26, 28,) which works in fixed bearings under the table, and to one end of which the looper is attached, and which carries at its other end an arm, u, which has a wrist, a', working in the groove ,n of a cam, V, keyed upon the main shaft 1 of the machine. Continuous rotary motion being given to the shaft 1 by the treadle or other means, the cam V by its rotary motion produces the oscillation of the arm u, and through it a corresponding movement of the looper D, by which the latter is made to take and leave the loop. The backward movement of the looper, which enables it to escape the needle which has been working in its groove d, is produced in the following manner, (illustrated by Figs. 20, 23, 24, 25:) The looper is made in two pieces, of which one, constituting a stock, is secured rigidly on the arbor U, and the other, which is the upper or principal piece, andhas on it the hook, is pivoted to the first piece or stock by a pivot, w. The upper piece has attached to it by means of a small adjusting-piece and adj usting-screw an anti-friction roller, W, (best shown in Fig. 23,) which, during the swinging movement of the whole looper aboutthe axis of its arbor U, comes into and out of contact with an inclined plane, W', secured adjustably to a fix'ed portion of the machine below the bed, and so causes the hook to swing on its pivot w. rlhe proper relation of the looper D and the roller XV with the inclined plane W is maintained bya spring, NV, which is secured to the stock and presses against the upper piece of the hook.

L00p-extender.-The extenderE, intended to give to the thread a constant tension, is represented in Figs. 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, and 27. It has at one of its extremities the hook c, for seizing the thread. rlhe other extremity, c', is secured to its arbor E by means of a spiral spring, e, (sce Figs. 2O and 22,)coiled around the said arbor and intended to exert a yielding or elastic tension on the thread ofthe loop when the looper D retires, as has been above described. Upon the arbor E is keyed a crank-arm, E", carrying an anti-friction roller, E, which by a spiral spring, E4, connecting the arm E with the bed-plate or some xed portion of the machine, as shown in Fig. 27, is held against the perimetrical portion e of the cam V, which is of such form (shown in Figs. 26 and 27) as to produce the necessary movements of the loop-extender, as herein above described.

A machine constructed according to ourinvention may have afeeding device of any suitable kind. That represented is a drop-feed operated by two eccentrics, 2 and 3, keyed upon the main shaft l. The levers Z and Y, by which the needle-carrier and the rotating IOO IIO

hook C are operated, derive motion from'a A cam, 4, which is keyed on the main shaft, and

which contains two grooves, z land y, whicl1^ receive anti-fr1ct1on rollers on thelower ends of said levers. n i

We do not claim as apart of this invention f either Vof the-two forms of needle herein described as suitable for our machine, as these may be the subject of another orother applications to be made by us for Letters Patent.

XVe do not claim, broadly, a needle with an eye near the point and a hook above said eye.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a sewing-machine, with a needle-carrier placed above the worktable, and a needle detachable from saidcarrier, of a circular rotating hook, andathreadbobbin and bobbin-holder contained withinI said hook, all arranged above the work-table,

and operating for the production of a stitch from a single thread, substantially as herein -arbor E, carrying the said loop-extender, the

' coiled spring e, between said arbor or spindie and loop-extender, and a cam for producing the oscillating movement of said spindle or arbor, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with the needle and 287,592 i y l J- 5 Vthe rotating circular hook (E ,bobbin-holder A, and bobbin c, all arranged above the work table or support, ofy the throw-.over lever` N, 'for throwing over-the bobbin-holderthe l'oop deliveredby said hook, substantially as herein described.

6.. The combination of the oscillating looper D, ina-de of two pieces jointed at w, and attached to an arbor, U, the cam V, for producing the oscillation ofthe arbor U, and the inclined plane V, for producing a movement of the needle thereto and detachingit therefrom,

and the bobbin-holder A, containing a slideway to receive and guide the head of the nee-v dile, of thelever G, actuated by the needlecarrier to prevent the turning of the bobbinholder while the needle is detached from its carrier, substantiallyasl herein described.

8.,The combination, in a sewing-machine, of the following elements, viz: first, a needle having an eye or opening near the point and ahook above the said eyeor opening, and arranged above the work-support; second, a bobbin-holder and contained bobbin, also arranged above the work-support; third, a rotating hook surrounding the said bobbin-holder 5 fourth, an oscillating looper arranged below the work-support; ifth, an oscillating loop-extender arranged below the work-support; and, sixth, mechanism for operating the said needle, rotating hook, looper, and loopextender, all substantially as herein described.

ETIENNE THIMONNIER, FILS. CLAUDE VERNAY. Vitnesses:

EUG. DuBois, SORT. VERDIERT. 

